Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola benched Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne for Wednesday’s critical Premier League match against Aston Villa at the Etihad.
Guardiola had fiercely defended Haaland in a pre-match press conference following criticism from former Manchester United captain Roy Keane.
Keane said Haaland’s general play was only at the level of England’s fourth-tier League Two in Sunday’s 0-0 draw to Arsenal.
Haaland scored 52 goals as City won Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup last season but has had issues with his best form after a foot injury in a 1-0 defeat to Villa in December.
He has 29 goals in all competitions this season but failed to score in 12 of his last 17 matches and was goalless in his last five games.
Guardiola made four changes as Rico Lewis, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, and Julian Alvarez come in, while the injured Nathan Ake and Mateo Kovacic dropped out.
Villa is also having to go without a couple top players as Ollie Watkins and Argentine World Cup winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez are absent due to injury and illness respectively.
